World-Wide Factory Activity, by Country

Manufacturing in much of the world remained in contractionary territory in August, as concerns about a crisis in Europe and a Chinese slowdown continued.

In the U.S., the Institute for Supply Management‘s purchasing managers’ index was essentially flat in July at 49.6, compared to 49.8 a month earlier. Reading below 50 indicate contraction. Though a subindex for employment offered an expansionary reading, growth slowed, which suggests subdued hiring. Meanwhile, the reading for new orders showed accelerated shrinking, raising concerns about the future.

Meanwhile, according to an official measure released earlier this week China dropped into contractionary territory. Europe continues to struggle, with the euro zone continuing to shrink, though at a slower pace than last month. Individual members France, Germany, Greece, Italy and Spain were all contracting.

The following chart lists PMIs from a variety of countries. Readings above 50 indicate expansion. Click any column head to re-sort.

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